This guideline offers evidence-based advice on the prevention, identification and management of neutropenic sepsis in patients having anticancer treatment.

Neutropenic sepsis is caused by a condition known as neutropenia, in which the number of white blood cells (called neutrophils) in the blood is low. Neutrophils help the body to fight infection. People having anticancer treatment, particularly chemotherapy and more rarely radiotherapy, can be at risk of neutropenic sepsis. This is because these treatments can temporarily lower the number of neutrophils in the blood. Some anticancer treatments are more likely than others to cause a temporary period of neutropenia.